Terri Cerveny (Provided photo)

LAKE LUZERNE — The Adirondack Folk School recently announced the hiring of Terri Cerveny as executive director.

The nonprofit organization celebrates and preserves the cultural history of the Adirondacks and promotes creativity and self-reliance by teaching the arts, crafts and traditions that define this region.

Cerveny comes to AFS after having retired to Lake Luzerne from a career in fundraising and development work with some of the Capital Region’s most prominent nonprofit organizations. In her most recent role, Cerveny served as vice president of college relations for Union College from 2014 to 2019. Prior to that, she served as senior vice president and chief development officer for the Albany Medical Center Foundation.

“We are thrilled to welcome Terri Cerveny to the Adirondack Folk School,” said Tanya Tobias, president of the AFS Board of Directors. “Terri brings a unique blend of expertise, passion for the school and what we do, and a strategic vision that aligns seamlessly with our organization’s values, goals, and plans for the future. In Terri, we have a new leader who will inspire our staff, faculty, students and stakeholders, lead strategic planning and operations, and be the engaging voice of our school.”

Cerveny succeeds Scott Hayden, who led AFS for five years before moving to a nonprofit organization that serves children’s needs. She was selected following a thoughtful search for a permanent executive director led by the board of directors of AFS.

“I’m excited to take on the role of executive director of the Adirondack Folk School, where the work we do to teach the arts and crafts of the Adirondacks — from basketry to blacksmithing, to fiber arts, woodworking, and many more — will ensure the traditions of this region live on through our students and their children,” said Cerveny. “People are interested in working with their hands and nurturing their creativity. This combination has been growing in popularity since the pandemic and our enrollment has been growing right along with it. I look forward to building on this momentum by continuing to expand our program and performance offerings, broaden our outreach, grow our audience, and expand our team and our facilities on the Luzerne campus. I hope you will join us on this exciting journey.”